SOUNDS, BREATHING, SYLLABLES

055. The English
approximations to the sounds of Greek given in §050 are more or
less arbitrary and designed only to provide a reasonably consistent
method of pronunciation. The student should learn to distinguish
the sound as well as the sight of the language.
The former can be achieved by pronouncing each word encountered and
by regularly reading the text in Greek before, or instead of,
translation. Reading a text not yet understood may seem like an
empty gesture, but it will pay dividends in the long run.

056.Consonants require little special
attention as their English equivalents are generally adequate.

056.1 γ is usually hard (as in go); before κ,
γ, χ or ξ it has the nasal sound of ng, as in
sing: ἄγγελλος = Latin angelus = English
angel (in Greek and Latin, unlike English, the sound
approximates the ng in finger, i.e. the
g is hard).

056.2 ζ had the dz sound earlier (as in
adze), but in the hellenistic period had been reduced to
simple ζ (zone).

056.3 ξ is sounded with a slight explosion of the
breath; a close English approximation is the x in
hex.

056.4 ρ
has both the simple r and the rh sound (cf.
ῥητωρική = rhetoric). ρ was in the process of losing its
aspirated sound (=rh) in the hellenistic period (Bl-D
§11).

056.5 σ is voiceless or 'sharp' s (as in
sit). There is evidence that σ also had a soft (voiced)
sound before certain voiced consonants (e.g. β, μ), as in
is (Bl-D §10).

056.6 χ is closely approximated by German ch
in ich, machen (certain dialects), or Scottish
ch in loch.

057. There are seven vowels: α, ε, η, ι, ο,
υ, ω. ω is the long form of ο; ε and ο are always short, η and ω
always long. This list, omitting η and ω, corresponds to the
English a, e, i, o, u. α, ι, υ are sometimes long and sometimes
short; the long and short forms are not distinguished by separate
characters. The sounds are indicated in §062.

058.1 A diphthong (δίφθογγος, two sounds) is
two vowel sounds fused into one. The second is always ι or υ. The
diphthongs are:

form

sound

examples

αι

ai in aisle

ἀρχαῖος

cf. archaeology
or archeology

ει

ei in freight

εἰκών

cf. icon or eikon

οι

oi in oil

οἰκουμενικός

cf. ecumenical
or oecumenical

υι

we or ui in colloquial

υἱός

αυ

ow in cow

ναῦς

cf. nautical

ευ
ηυ

}

eu in eulogy

εὑρίσκω
ηὕρηκα

}

cf. eureka

ου

ou in group

οὔρανος

cf. uranium

The Greek sound of the diphthong is rarely
preserved in the related word in English (last column) . The Greek
sounds are indicated in §063.

058.2 A long vowel combined with ι forms an improper
diphthong: ᾳ, ῃ, ῳ. The iota is written subscript (called iota
subscript) and no longer affects the sound. When α, η, ω are
written as capitals, the iota must be written on the line (called
iota adscript): Αι , Ηι, Ωι.

058.3 All diphthongs are theoretically long, but final
αι, οι are considered short for the purposes of accent, except in
the optative.

059.1 Every initial vowel or diphthong is marked for
breathing. Rough breathing (spiritus asper) is
marked with (῾), smooth breathing with (᾿). (῾) has the value of
h pronounced before the vowel: Ἕλλην = Ηellene; ἕν
(henotheism). Initial υ always has rough breathing: ὑπό
(cf. hypodrome). (᾿) has no effect on the sound: ἄνθρωπος
(cf. anthropology).

↓ 059.2
The signs for breathings are derived from H, which originally had
the value of h. H came to be used for ēta, with
the result that new marks were created out of the old sign by
dividing it into two parts, |- and -| , one to indicate smooth, the
other rough, breathing. These marks were printed as ’ and ‘
respectively.

059.3 Initial ρ is also given rough breathing and is
pronounced rh: ῥέω (cf. rheostat).

↓ 059.4
Medial double ρ (ρρ within a word) is sometimes written -ῤῥ- to
indicate that the first lacks, the second has, breathing. (Cf. Bl-D
§11(1).

060. Every Greek word has as many syllables as it has
separate vowels or diphthongs: τε-θέ-α-μαι.

060.2 A cluster of consonants which can begin a word,
or a consonant with μ or v, goes with the following vowel:
έ-σκη-νω-σεν; τέ-κνον.

060.3 A cluster of consonants which cannot begin a
word is divided: ἄν-θρω-πος. Doubled consonants are divided:
ἐ-γεν-νή-θη-σαν.

060.4 Compounds are divided where they are joined:
κατ-έ-λα-βεν, ἔμ-προσ-θεν.

061. Familiarity with the sight and sound of Greek can
best be achieved by constant use of a Greek text. Especially at the
beginning it is important to read and pronounce aloud, preferably
with the instructor or a fellow student at hand to correct. The
sounds of vowels and consonants are more readily learned, of
course, in the context of the common phonetic patterns in Greek.
For this purpose the words in any Greek text are suitable for
practice.

0630.1 The pronunciations suggested for η and ει
(§§062.3, 063.2) are identical. The first and second vowels in
μείνητε (Jn 8:31) will therefore sound alike. In such cases, the
eye must distinguish what the ear does not.

0630.2 The pronunciation suggested for ευ and ηυ
(§063.6) means that these two diphthongs are indistinguishable.
There will be a tendency, moreover, to confuse ευ and ηυ with
simple υ (§062.6), especially as French u and German
ü is an unfamiliar sound in English. This difficulty may
be avoided by giving a true diphthongal sound to ευ and ηυ: ευ may
be pronounced like ew in Edward without the
intervening d, and ηυ may be pronounced like ayw
in wayward.

0630.3 The difficulty of maintaining an un-English
pronunciation of υ may produce confusion with ου: υ will tend to
take on the sound of ου.

0630.4 The possibility of confusing υ, ευ, ου
(§063.2-3) may be lessened by keeping the following catchwords in
mind and exaggerating the distinctions between and among the vowels
and diphthongs:

υ/ευ

εὐθύς

(Mk 1:10)

κυριεύει

(Rom 6:9)

υ/ου

νῦν

(Jn 8:40) / νοῦν (Rom 1:28)

υ/ευ/ου

κυριεύουσιν

(Lk 22:25)

0630.5
The following words may also be helpful in fixing distinctions:

α/ο/ου/ω

ἀκολουθῶν

(Jn 8:12)

ε/η/υ/ει

ἐληλύθει

(Jn 8:20)

ευ/η/αι

γεύσηται

(Jn 8:52)

064.Consonants. The Greek consonants offer little difficulty
and the approximations suggested in §§050, 056 are generally
adequate to distinguish them from each other.

064.1 κ
and χ. χ can be confused with κ unless it is remembered that the
breath is not entirely cut off with χ; the emission of breath
should produce only a strong h.